Potty Training Woes

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this post is devoted entirely to my gripes, successes, and failures as I attempt to potty train the child-who-refuses-to-sleep, Isabella. As I type she is eyeballing me from the couch where she is supposed to be settling down for her afternoon nap, although she has become expert in the fine art of pretending she is asleep whenever I actually turn my head in that direction. Tricky one, she is. We have been spending the past day and a half practically glued at the hip as I try to "pick up" on her "signals" (overt and non) that she has to use the bathroom. This is per some potty training literature that I picked up the other day, although I cannot yet testify as to its effectiveness. I pulled out my stockpile of potty training paraphernalia, and am trying to make heads or tails of what "method" I should be following, and it's all Greek to me, to be honest!

So far, we have met some success, although I should be up-front and admit that most of those were a result of me running her to the bathroom and plopping her naked booty onto the potty when I sensed she was on the verge of letting loose. Other than that, my washing machine and dryer have been in heavy rotation - not to mention the Pine-Sol, bleach, and bathtub, since Isabella has taken it upon herself to dump the contents of her potty bowl onto her head a couple of times. Not a pretty sight, I must say!

And, of course, like most people, I inevitably encounter that one person - who shall remain nameless - whose child is the exceptional Einstein of their generation. C'mon, you know what I'm talking about! When the other moms (like myself) are discussing how great it is that our children are starting to speak in sentences and finally managing to feed themselves without chucking their plates at our heads, that certain someone's child is sitting daintily in a chair and completing quadratic equations with one hand while decorating a cake with the other. And of course, was potty trained when they were one and a half, within a three-day period, with nary an accident. Yup, that's the person I end up running into while on a "happy, happy, joy, joy" high from the fact that Isabella actually peed in the potty without finishing on the floor. Way to go, self-esteem!

Don't mind me, I am just venting - I am sure she will get the hang of this eventually and maybe even before I sprout gray hairs. I am an open vessel for any advice you want to divvy out, so please feel free to let me have it. And since it looks like Isa has finally drifted off, I should probably try and get this laundry folded before she gets up again! Adios for now....

DVR's Rock!

At the moment, I am feeling what could be considered an odd and irrational love for a piece of technology. I am not ashamed to admit it.

I. Love. My. D.V.R. (Digital Video Recorder, aka "Tivo") It has been my saving grace for the past week. This is why:

I am still sick as a dog and still sounding somewhat like a guy, although it might be safe to say that instead of being in the throes of puberty, my voice sounds like it has actually made it there now. Anyway, I woke up the other morning and had what I like to refer as a "mini-breakdown" where I threw myself on the bed and begged my husband not to leave me alone with Isabella that day. I know that comes off as being horrible, but I was in misery and just could not fathom chasing after her all day, feeling the way I did - she's like the Energizer Bunny sometimes and gets into everything! Poor Ike, he looked like he felt so bad for me. But there was no way he could stay home, he had to prep for a flight and couldn't get out of that, obviously. Once he left, I kind of buried myself in blankets and pillows and imagined getting some sleep, until I was snapped back to reality by my munchkin, who proceeded to dig me out and proclaim "eat, eat!" I kid you not, I had no idea how I was going to survive the day until the boys or Ike came home. Sounds melodramatic but I really, really, really was feeling terrible. But then I remembered....the power of the DVR!

If a mothering group ever read this I am in trouble, but I confess that I have never been so grateful in my life for my "Tivo." Programmed into that bad boy is a never-ending roster of Isa's favorites, from "Wow Wow Wubbzy" to "Yo Gabba Gabba." I was able to lay on the couch and occasionally doze while she sat mesmerized by Noggin's educational programs. Yes, yes, give me the naughty mother of the week award, but I was desperate!

The only downside to this whole thing is, now that I am trying to get back to my normal daily routine, I am constantly humming the bars of music from her shows. I had finally managed to get Dora's voice out of my head, and it has been replaced by Wubbzy and every Veggietales movie on earth. Don't get me wrong, I love the Veggietales! But when you are in church and hearing the pastor speak on, oh, say the Wall of Jericho, and the image that comes to your head is of little vegetables throwing slushies down at Joshua and the Israelites, it gets a little difficult to compose yourself (true story - it happened to my mom!)

And that's about all I can get down at the minute, because today (dum, da-dum-dum!) I have a full schedule that includes parent-teacher conferences (seems early, but school started back in July), Gymboree for Isa, and some Crossfit for me to get me out of my little funk. So until later, I bid you adieu...hahaha....

Anniversary Dinner

Saludos a todos! It's been a slow week, mainly because I have been dealing with a killer cold that has me sounding like a young man in the throes of puberty - really, one of my friends called the other day and thought I was Ike. Scary. So I have given myself the liberty to be a slug for the past few days. And thanks to my husband, I did something unheard of...I slept in until almost 1130 hours the other day! He was flying that night, and instead of going in early like he usually does, he stayed home and took care of Isa. Trust me, I say with zero sarcasm that it was the best anniversary gift ever, LOL. Although I am still wheezing/hacking quite a bit (and still sounding rather masculine) Amir offered to baby-sit for us so we could go out on a date and celebrate. Yes, we jumped at the opportunity and headed straight for Romano's....and it was SO yummy...check out my dish:

(Side note: I also scarfed down a loaf of Italian bread and some bruschetta...I am a self-admitted carb-junkie. Don't ever take away my pasta, rice, or bread, and we'll all get along, LOL)

Anyway, Isaiah and I sat and reminisced on our first dinner at this place and it got me kind of nostalgic. We discovered this restaurant years ago when he was taking me down to Maryland and Washington D.C. for the medical appointments leading up to my brain surgery in 2004. We even went there on the day I was finally released from the hospital, looking all kinds of crazy, because I like it so much. So you can imagine how excited we were when we found out they opened a Romano's here in Honolulu...it has meaning for us! Isaiah decided to memorialize us on their table:

Don't worry, we're not vandals - there is a roll of paper on top of the tablecloth. And we're not usually this corny, but we figure it's permitted once a year : )

Now we are home, so I think I will take some nice meds that will help me breathe normally and maybe even get a decent night of sleep. As I type, I can see Ike dozing on the couch out of the corner of my eye. I can already predict what will happen - I will try and pry the remote out of his hands to turn the TV off, and he will pretend like he has been awake this whole time. Gotta love him...Happy Anniversary, babe!

Long Time, No Write!

Hey, beautiful people! I know it has been a LONG time (for me, that is) since I have posted anything, but it seems that every spare second I have has been consumed with the needs, wants, and must-haves that arise in a busy household. I am sure you know what that's like : ) So let me update you on the happenings of our crew, along with a few visual aids for entertainment purposes, and we can play catch up with each other!

School first: it was kicking my little Puerto Rican tushie. Especially in one of my classes, where I had a professor who was this die-hard stickler for perfection, and wanted us to "infuse" our work with "deep thoughts, research, and soul-searching insights." I thought, hey, no prob - I can handle that. I was doing pretty well, too, staying up late and working on this 16-page argumentative paper that was going to make up the bulk of the final grade. But once I made it to page 12, a strange phenomenon occurred where I believe my brain spontaneously combusted. Seriously, it started driving me nuts because I barely have free time as it is, and every time I would sit in front of the computer I just kind of stared at the screen and every little bit of inspiration that may have been churning around would suddenly fly right out the window, and I would eke out maybe two sentences in an hour or so. VERY annoying. However, I did learn that deadlines must have some kind of reverse effect on me, because about 12 hours before it was due, my brain kicked back into gear. I somehow managed to get it finished, turned in, and got the final "A" I needed to keep myself on the Dean's List at the university, thank you very much. I cannot tell you how good it feels to get that monkey off my back - I danced a little jig on my counter in celebration (hey, it was one in the morning and I was wired on coffee - my neighbors are lucky I didn't start break-dancing in the street). Woo hoo! (Don't worry, I didn't fall off the counter and break any important body parts...LOL)

So that was the school report; I am now on a nice 3 week break until the next semester starts up. Moving on!

Amir and Johnny have begun playing football, and boy, have their practices had me running around like a chicken on speed. I was kind of hoping that their schedules would at least be on separate days, but nope, wasn't going to happen. They actually overlap, take place on opposite sides of the base, and are scheduled right around our dinnertime. I end up cooking in the morning (before or after various appointments), and when the boys come home from school, speed feed them, and run child #1 one out the door while the other is eating or finishing up their work. Then back home, where I do a patented "hi and bye" hug/kiss for the husband (who usually has just gotten home) and scoop child #2. Drop him off, then grab the child #1, whose practice has just ended. In between all of this, I grab my grub on the run, and end my night waiting on child #2 to finish up while reading from the dome light in my car so I don't fall asleep. Sound confusing? Yeah, sometimes it is....just wait until their games start! Besides the sports, they still have their other activities going on and I must say, I find it quite entertaining. I tend to catch myself re-living certain aspects of my own childhood when I hear all of the stories from the halls of the third grade and more so, the sixth grade! Seems like so long ago...remember back when the most crucial thing you had to worry about was whether you would have enough time at recess to play kick ball? Wow, it's hard to believe life was ever that simple!

And on to Ike's mini-clone, Isabella. That girl is a trip and a half - even when I have to discipline her for something, I often have to turn my face to the wall so she doesn't see me chuckle at times. It amazes me how much kids at that age soak up, and learn new things not just from day to day, but almost from hour to hour or minute to minute. Last month, I went out and purchased all of the requisite "materials" needed for potty training - Ike and I were under the delusion that this would be an easy feat. I mean, I have two boys and they are supposed to be harder to train, right? Well, so far, Isa has used the potty approximately 3 times. Sounds nice and all, but let's just say that my daughter has also decided that the potty is more effective as a portable footstool. I find it in really strange parts of the house - once I went into my closet for a pair of running shoes, and found it propped up near the shelf where I keep my handbags. Don't even get me started on the time when she actually used the potty, and decided it would be fun to wear the seat on her head as a hat. Thank goodness for bathtubs, shampoo, and my Swiffer! (By the way, I wholeheartedly welcome any and ALL potty training advice, so lay it on me!)

As for Ike, he (as well as I) have fully embraced the Crossfit lifestyle. You might recall, I mentioned it back in an earlier post - you can always google it (or click on the link to check it out)if you get bored one night and don't feel like watching mindless infomercials. And this is completely off-subject, but after so many late nights, I think I should mention that I have probably seen each and every infomercial that is currently in rotation...I've concluded that their intent is to wear down your resistance until the lack of sleep and repetition actually convince you that you need what they are selling. I almost bought a few things, in my weaker moments. Disturbing, I know. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. In Ike's own words, he is feeling "outstanding," and if I do say so myself, he looks fantastic. Not that he didn't before, but goodness gracious, he looks like he did when he was 25! My, my, my....as for his possible deployment, it is still pending at the moment. While I am hoping that they don't send him back to the desert again (especially during the holidays!) I am still resigning myself to it just in case. Oh, and he is also playing basketball again, now that his previous injuries have finally healed up completely. He wants you to know that his squadron won their first intramural basketball game of the season. Go, Airlift Squadron, go! Woo-woo!

And back to me, the blogger. I am happy to say that I am feeling pretty outstanding myself. Along with everything else spinning in my little world, I jumped on the Crossfit bandwagon with my husband, his best friend Keith, and his wife Reshon. I can honestly say that the difference in each of us is tremendous. I am woman, hear me roar! Grrrr!

After all of this hustle, the girls and I took a much needed break and had a fabulous "ladies night" out on the town. It was Reshon's birthday, so a group of my girlfriends - Denise, Rose, Tina, myself, and Reshon, of course - headed out to Bubba Gump's for dinner at the Ala Moana Mall in downtown Honolulu. Believe me, this mall is huge - the entire fourth floor is dedicated solely to restaurants, and in the middle of all of them sits a Tiki bar where they play live music. We got to listen to some great local music while sipping on fruity drinks and grubbing on seafood. Check us out:

We were a loud and rambunctious bunch - so naturally, we made fast friends with our servers. They thought we were a riot! Here I am with my favorite one:

After we stuffed ourselves silly, we jumped in the car (once we remembered where we parked...hey, it really is a huge mall) and did a little club-jumping. We started off at this place called Moose's and ended the night at Rumours, which just happened to be having a "Flashback" Saturday. Ever go somewhere and see people get ridiculously excited when some song that they probably danced to at their prom or whatever comes on? Yup, that's pretty much what was going on there. We had a blast! And I probably shouldn't be telling you this - but I will anyway - we engaged in a little "people watching." Whew....all that I can say is that there are some truly wild characters out there in the world. Here we all are at the end of the night:

Not bad for it being 2 in the morning, right? Ha ha : )

So, folks, that's about it for now. I could probably go on and on about all of the other inane things that take place in my Hawaiian existence, but you might fall asleep on me while sitting at your computer and we don't want that. Broken keyboards (or noses) are kind of a pain to deal with. Instead, I will try to do a better job about getting on here while I am on my school break - and you can pray that my professors for the next semester are a little more relaxed than they were this past one! Besos!

Some Pictures from Isa's 2nd Birthday

As I mentioned before, our youngest one turned two last week. She had a wonderful birthday, and although we kept it pretty low-key (hung out at home and let her be princess for the day) I am fairly certain that she had a good time. : )

I thought the cake was pretty cool! Much easier to serve, because it is constructed entirely out of cupcakes! And they were good.... I ate two.....mmmmmm.....

Blowing out the candles with her Daddy...

...and licking icing off her fingers along with her brothers! Can you say "sugar rush" three times fast? Hahahahaha....

Isabella, the Chef

My littlest munchkin, Isabella, has a birthday coming up this week. She will be turning a grand two years old on the 14th of August, and boy, has she definitely been growing by leaps and bounds. Sometimes she completely surprises me with the things she says - although I will be glad when the word "no" stops being one of her favorites, LOL. Well, it looks like Isaiah will now be going out of town (to Australia - what a hardship! wink, wink) and will miss her big day, so we went out and got one of her birthday gifts in advance. Check it out:

Isabella absolutely loves puttering around my kitchen and trying to "help" me when I am cooking and baking. So now, she has her own kitchen to whip up whatever she wants, however she wants. I would have LOVED one of these things when I was little - the phone rings and speaks, the burner turns red and bubbles, the overhead light turns on and off...need I go on? Very, very cool! As soon as it was set up, Isa headed straight for it and began playing with the little dishes and utensils:

Many thanks to Isa's Abuela and Papa for helping give our girl her dream kitchen. Grandparents are so awesome!

On another happy note, my cousin Beth - who inspired me to start blogging in the first place - was blessed with the arrival of a handsome and healthy baby boy named Caedon on July 31st. If you get a chance, swing on over to her blog, See Bess Run, and send her some congratulations! We all know that pregnancy and labor is no joke, so I am sure that this delivery was both a blessing and relief for her. I bet she will be lacing on her running shoes again in no time : )

Better Late Than Never, Right?

I meant to post this the week before last, but for certain reasons, I never seemed to get around to pressing the "publish post" button. I'll get into the reasons for that later. Anyway, I am almost two weeks late on this, but the Feel Good Friday theme over at MommyETC on July 18th was:

...post SONG LYRICS that make you happy, that teach you more about yourself...about God, that make you cry, that make you feel special...that make you "feel good".

It is hard for me to admit (reason #1 for my tardiness), but I felt a bit of tugging in my heart when I read that. No, not because I had heartburn or anything. Because I was instantly convicted (reason #2). If you read these lyrics you might understand why:

One Touch (Press) by Nicole C. Mullen

Been ostracized for 12 years

I'm used to being alone

Spent everything I had

And now it's gone

I'm used to being put down

My issues tell it all

My only hope is anchored

In this fall

Chorus

If I could just touch the hem of His garment

I know I'd be made whole

If I could just press my way through this madness

His love would heal my soul

If only one touch

So many people calling

How could He ever know

That just a brush of Him

Would stop the flow

If he knew would He rebuke me

Or shame me to the crowd

Well I'm desperate 'cause it's never or it's now

Chorus

Suddenly He turned around

He said somebody has unleashed my power

Well, Frightened and embarrassed I bowed

You see I told Him of my troubles

And how...

I had to touch the Hem of His garment

And I know I've been made whole

And how I had pressed my way through the madness

And His love has healed my soul

Then with one word

He touched the hem of my garment

And you know I've been made whole

And somehow He pressed

His way through my madness

And His love has healed my soul

I tell you He touched me

He reached way down and touched me

When no one else would touch me

Jesus, shol' 'nough He touched me...

And I know I've been made whole

This song absolutely does it for me - it sums me, and my life, up in so many ways that I get a lump in my throat and have to look in the other direction if people are around. In case you didn't know, this song is about the woman in the Bible who suffered from an "issue of blood" for about 12 years; she was an outcast in society because of this, and I imagine that she was a lonely and sad woman, too. She was desperate, probably at the end of her rope, and when she saw Jesus, she just knew that he could heal her. Her faith drove her through that crowd; and even though she knew that she wasn't supposed to touch him (the laws concerning issues of blood forbade her to) she reached for the hem of his garment. Jesus knew instantly when she made contact; he felt his power unleash and asked, "who touched me?" Although the woman was afraid, she confessed to being the one to touch him. He then turns to her - and this is what really pulls my heartstrings - and lovingly says, "Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace..."

I can identify with this story. Not the issue of blood part - I have dealt with some serious medical issues over the years, but not that one in particular. What I can understand is that feeling of being an outcast, that feeling that nobody wants you - those kinds of feelings that drive you to the point of desperation, where you know that nothing can save you but the blood of Jesus. Just one touch. That's all. Just one touch to heal you, to fix the things that are wrong; one touch to let you know that there is indeed someone who loves you more than anything, and knows you as His own, even if you don't always acknowledge Him. And that word he uses: "Daughter." I don't know about you, but for me, it drives home the point that even when society was shunning this woman, Jesus was not. He acknowledged her in front of everyone in that crowd as His own - "Daughter." Okay, I can feel the lump starting to pop up again so let me take a minute....

See, I have to admit - even though I don't want to - that I haven't exactly been on my best behavior lately. Frustrations with various things, anxiety, lack of sleep, school - so many things have had me on edge lately. I can't seem to find enough time in the day to do the things I need to. I snap so easily lately...at everyone, to be honest. I find myself becoming increasingly dissatisfied, and then look for things to validate that emotion so I can wallow in my pity party. And although I try to justify it, I admit that I haven't been as active in my prayer life and one-on-one time with God lately. Ever notice that when that slacks off, everything else just seems to fall out of whack?

And therein lies my conviction. I have been that woman - the one that Jesus acknowledged and saved when she was at the end of her rope. And you would think by now, that I should be a seasoned enough Christian that I wouldn't allow myself to fall into these kinds of ruts. But I still do, and it is just the worst feeling!

Have you ever fallen into that valley before? What did it take for you to realize that you had wandered off the beaten track? What prompted you to turn around? If you want to share, feel free...and if not, no worries, just typing this has been therapeutic.

So that is where I am at right now. I am going to make the effort to carve out some much-desired time to try and re-organize and re-prioritize certain things in my life. I have a feeling it's not going to be easy...but the most important thing is that it will get me back to where I need to be. Thanks for letting me vent....it's so nice having a springboard to get all of this out of my system! Blessings....

Ouch!

I....am....so.....sore......right.....now.

I am not sure why but it even kind of hurts to type, too. All because I had to go and try to be superwoman.

Okay, here's the deal. I consider myself to be a pretty fit person. In fact, if I listen to the Air Force, I can even smile and go ahead and say that I am in excellent condition. When I took my annual PT test in June (which consists of timed military style push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run), I beat every woman in my squadron, and in the run, almost all of the men, too. Had me feeling all good and positive. All the running I do at night actually pays off, I thought.

Then Isaiah and his best friend Keith decided to introduce me to this workout regime called CrossFit. You may have heard of it, but if you are kind of oblivious to these things (as I tend to be most of the time) you are probably just staring at the screen with a blank expression. It's okay, I completely understand.

Anyway, I am probably not doing the program much justice by describing it in these terms, but it is basically a no-frills kind of strengthening/conditioning program that is used by countless athletes, special forces units, martial artists, etc....it is not meant for people who are trying to look cute and check themselves out in mirrors while they do bicep curls or something in the gym. Now, this is how it was told to me, and I got really amped about it. I don't know about you, but I cannot stand the gym most of the time. You either have the same guys there checking out the women (this works in reverse too, ladies!), or you have to fight for your turn on a machine. Gets kind of old. C'mon.

As I was saying...I got all excited about it, especially when Isaiah came home the first day completely wrecked and about to toss his cookies. Since it was the day after his birthday, I figured that the drinks he and his friends celebrated with the day before might have got to him. I empathized with him while the naughty voice in my head cackled "wimp!" Then I promised to go with him and Keith another day. No sweat!

Wrong. Very wrong. There was sweat. Quite a bit of it. Belonging to me, as a matter of fact. We were given a deceptively simple sounding workout to do. The "simple workout" nearly made me hurl. Let's just say it involved a combination of a whole lot of push-ups and pull-ups (called burpies), and squats performed while hoisting a 20-pound ball in the air (okay, I admit that I took a lighter ball....so sue me). I started off pretty strong, but by the end, only sheer willpower and the fact that my husband was watching (of course, he finished before me) got me through the workout. I tell you the truth, it took everything I had not to hurl in the bucket affectionately named "Pukie" that they keep for newbies like me.

So now I sit. In front of the computer. Wondering how on earth my body is still operating. I squatted down to pick up my daughter earlier and couldn't get back up. Yeah, it's pitiful. So the question is, am I going back?

Call me crazy...but yes! There is something so...well, therapeutic about reaching beyond what you think are your capabilities and actually finding out that you can do so much more. And not drop dead in the process. Even if I hurt. Today. And probably tomorrow. And the day after.

So, people, I will keep you posted and let you know if I am able to hang. And that's about all I can manage at the moment...because I am going to bed! Besos!

Installment #4: The Colon Family Takes Over (And Departs) Hawaii!

Let's play a Hawaiian version of "Where's Waldo?" Observe the picture below. See anything interesting?

Your eyes do not deceive you, people. That is indeed a coconut tree.

What's that? Oh! I guess you may have also noticed the man perched (quite comfortably, I might add) on the tree! Well, this took place while we were visiting the island of Samoa. No, not the real island of Samoa. I'm talking about the one at the Polynesian Cultural Center!

The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of those places where you truly have to experience it for yourself in order to fully appreciate how incredible it is. This is a 42-acre Center located on the Windward side of Oahu, containing seven native "villages" that each represent one of the Pacific Islands: Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, Marquesas, New Zealand (which is actually called Aotearoa - I never knew that) and Tonga. Each village had all kinds of activities to offer, such as Tongan spear throwing contests, preparing (and enjoying!) Tahitian coconut bread, playing the drums, even Samoan fire-knife training. We made it our goal to make it through every single village in the place, which was no small feat once you threw in a blazing sun and some unusually hot weather!

However, we actually made it around the entire Center, and were rewarded with a truly authentic Hawaiian luau. I'm talking about pineapple drinks, tiki lamps, beautiful music, and the best part of all, food! Here is one of the men preparing to remove the roasted pig from the fire pit:

And here is the procession of the Royal Hawaiian Court:

After the luau, we enjoyed a spectacular show that showcased performers from each of the native "villages" - it was a breathtaking performance, complete with fire-dancers and all! I really wish I had some pictures to show you, but like Cirque, we couldn't take pictures for fear of blinding the performers. Again, I can accept that because I agree that it would be kind of ugly for a flash to go off while someone was dancing around with a flaming torch or something. : )

After spending a whole day, morning to night, at the Polynesian Cultural Center, you would think we would be too tired to do anything else that weekend. But of course not! We got up the next day, pumped our bodies full of caffeine, and went to the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park in Kapolei. Which, ironically, is the only water park on the whole island - who'da thunk it?

I'll be honest with you - after being raised in such close proximity to Six Flags Great Adventure, I admit that I tend to be a bit blase about water parks. You know the concept: been to one, seen them all. I mean, you can only ride so many water slides before you just kind of sit there and go catatonic, right? But once again, I was wrong - I acted like a big child and got on some of the crazy rides with my Dad and the boys. The wildest one was this new ride called "The Tornado." It is built into the side of the mountains bordering the water park, and you hike up them to reach the the place where the ride begins. The best description I can give you is to imagine (along with whoever is with you, naturally) being shoved backwards into a humongous red funnel that spins you around to the point where you are literally circling the tube upside down! Very tornado-like....if I hadn't been hanging on to the grips of the tube, I don't think I would be typing this right now! And I kid you not, there were grown men in there screaming like girls...I'm talking about big, masculine men, too, LOL....

Now, can you believe after visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, there would be more? Oh, yes! The following day, Mom and Dad headed out to visit the Big Island - land of Kona coffee, black sand beaches, and of course, the volcanoes! I can't elaborate fully on their experiences, being that I obviously wasn't there, but according to them, it was an awesome trip. Also, they took a ton of pictures, but for the sake of your eyesight, I will put in the money shot that you know you want to see:

Volcano!

While the parents were off trolling the Big Island, Isaiah and I were pretty busy ourselves - it was the day that we were all set to be given the keys to our new house! Man, what a blessing, and a long-awaited one at that. Just to give you an idea of why we couldn't wait to get out of our old house (which was being torn down, thankfully) let me give you a brief description of our previous abode. A very old home built out of cinder blocks, with peeling paint on the cinder blocks, no less; a lanai door that let countless creatures in (you should see some of the critters here); a yard that refused to grow real grass; really, prior to our departure, this house was literally falling apart all around us. To add insult to injury, after accidentally knocking a chair into some moulding, we discovered a ridiculously large ant colony residing in our walls! To a germ-phobe like me, that was enough to send me into the fetal position, quivering in spasms of horror. So, you can be assured that I was lurking outside the housing office like a desperate stalker, waiting for our names to be called so we could get our keys and run as fast as we could into the new place!

The last few days of Mom and Dad's visit, we spent doing all the things that come with moving - sorting, discarding, packing, and the best part of all, buying a few new things! And, as I am sure you probably can figure out, we were pretty exhausted. However, it made my heart smile to see my Dad and husband tinkering around with the boys and showing them how to be little handymen.

Then Friday rolled around. It was the 4th of July, but I just couldn't seem to muster up much excitement. We all kept ourselves busy with unpacking, moving things in their proper places, hanging curtains...but there is always that awareness in the back of your brain that reminds you that soon, your happy time will be coming to an end. Although I purposely tried to avoid looking at the clock, I knew the time was getting closer to when we would have to take them to the airport. My mood was growing increasingly somber and when Amir burst into tears at the dinner table, I had to go into the kitchen under the guise of cleaning the dishes so I wouldn't embarrass myself by doing the same! Time ticked on much too quickly...it seems that whenever you wish time would linger, it does the opposite and goes into fast-forward.

So, off we went to the airport - we were all doing a pretty decent job of acting like it was no big deal, in retrospect. That is, until the final good-bye came - then I lost it. Mom came to give me a hug and I just refused to let go of her...it's funny how the familiar scent and feel of a person can take you back to when you were just a child and the only people who mattered were your parents. After a few attempts, she finally dislodged me and man, then the waterworks really sprang into full effect. I can't properly express how hard it was to say good-bye to my Dad after that. One of the things I love best about him is his habit of whispering that special bit of parting counsel, tempered with a loving gesture, right before he departs. And he didn't fail to tell me just what I needed to hear before he gave me one last kiss and hug - although what he said is something that I will keep between he and I, of course. : )

Back in the car I went, looking like a hot mess - running nose, red eyes, tragic face and all. However, I did manage to compose myself before stepping in the house. And I have to tell you, if I didn't have my husband and children there to make me laugh that day I would probably have just sat around looking pitiful. Because it's strange when you are used to having an extra presence in the house for a significant amount of time, and then all of a sudden, it's gone. The kind of company where you can just go about your daily life and have the comfort of knowing that even if you don't say a word, or just sit around doing something as mundane as enjoying a cup of coffee together, you are content and happy.

But time marches on, and thankfully, it is capable of providing the best kinds of distractions. I have been busy to the point of exhaustion with all of the things that have popped up in the past few weeks. School, work, prepping the kids for sports, lessons, TDY's, the list feels never-ending at times...but most, if not all of you can relate, I am sure.

And thus ends my final installment of the Hawaii "take-over" by the Colon Family. A big mahalo to them for giving us some truly beautiful memories to hang onto until we visit again. I close this with a picture that should sum up their experiences here in one pose:

I think they look happy, don't you? : )

Catching Up!

Hey everyone - I know I still owe you guys another installment, but things have been so crazy here I haven't had a chance to sit down for very long and finish it. The last three days of Mom and Dad's visit, we had to move from our old house in the ghetto (if anyone from housing happens to come across this, sorry, but you know it's the truth, LOL) to our brand new one, and all I can say is this: Valió la pena! Yup, it was worth the wait, most definitely. I will try and post some pictures of the new place soon. On top of that, school has picked back up for me, Isaiah is preparing to go out of town again, and my youngest munchkin has decided to fully embrace the "terrible" portion of her terrible two's! Oh, my...but in the meantime, I leave you with some pictures that we all took together while my parents were still here. Much love to everyone, and just bear with me, I will update this blog again soon!